Trucks Will Be Very Different

Trucks Will Be Very Different

From 2020, in London, the kind of trucks will be very different from those currently entering the city. Diesel News’ European Correspondent, Brian Weatherley, reports on the latest moves to boost direct
Read More

Top Female Driver, Australian Truck Manufacturing, Penske Dealership Change and Autonomous Trucks

In the news this week have been a Top Female Driver, Australian Truck Manufacturing, Penske Dealership Change and Autonomous Trucks and the need for supporting infrastructure. Tasmanian Kerri Connors, of Caltas, was named winner of the 2017 Volvo Drivers’ Fuel Challenge on-road category in a competition which put Australia’s most fuel-efficient drivers head to head. The off-road title was claimed by Cameron Simpson of Simpson’s Fuel in Victoria. Over a two-day event at Mt Cotton in Queensland, the competition was whittled down from 17 drivers in the semi-final, to nine in the final.
Read More

The Subject of Rollovers

For livestock transporters, the subject of rollovers is particularly delicate. Much of the livestock transporting industry runs with trucks at 4.6 metres in overall height. This obviously creates a high centre of gravity in a load which can also move about on a vehicle. A recipe for disaster. Safety issues are constantly being looked at in all transport, but different aspects of the issues are of interest to different sectors. The science behind rollovers is little understood in the trucking industry and Mike Robertson, Managing Director and Engineering Manager at Engistics, took on the subject for the livestock community to help bring the issues into a clearer light. Read More

Renew a Model

Sometimes truck makers seem to renew a model just for the sake of having something new to say, but sometimes they have something new to say without needing a major update. At Fuso it would seem the latter is the case, with many changes to the brand without much cosmetic change to the trucks on offer. The world of the Japanese truck manufacturers in Australia is a very clear-cut one. Often the trucks are a commodity, it is difficult to differentiate between them, from the customers point of view. This sector of the market relies a lot less on the kind of emotional and traditional buying decisions we see occurring in the heavy-duty line-haul prime mover sector.
Read More

Electric Power For Cummins, Fuel Cells and Hybrid Vans

This week, alternative power for trucks is on the agenda with Electric Power For Cummins, Fuel Cells and Hybrid Vans in Diesel News. A Belgian hydrogen technology company has won a European Union grant to develop a new extended range fuel cell truck. The H2Share Project will see a 27-tonne electric, fuel cell-extended range, rigid truck going into service, with the chassis and body provided by Dutch manufacturer VDL. The truck will be developed alongside its own mobile refuelling system, which is being coordinated by German technology firm Wystrach. The truck will be put on trial in six locations across Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. The aim is to demonstrate the long-term viability of hydrogen fuel cells for long distances, as well as urban applications, with a view to creating a technology roadmap for the rollout of a proper hydrogen fuel cell refuelling network for road transport in northern Europe.

Read More

Getting Smart About Repairs

For some workshops it’s all about straightforward servicing, for others, handling more repairs can strengthen the business. Diesel News has been talking to one such workshop in Adelaide. South Australia is tough on trucks. They pull high masses at high average speeds for long trips, this makes plenty of work for repair shops. Engines, turbos, diffs and transmissions need to be replaced and if the truck does crash at high speed the body shop has a major task on its hands.
Read More
Remain Vigilant

This Is The Modern World

We may like to indulge in nostalgia in the trucking world, but this is the modern world we are talking about. Sometimes it is difficult to separate the real facts from the myths and legends in this industry.   What
Read More

Built-in Flexibility

The modern truck has a lot of built-in flexibility, and the Hino 500 range is no exception. The models available range from the lighter end of medium-duty up to some serious heavy-duty rigid trucks. This means the trucks are going to experience very different working lives and need to be capable, no matter what the task. Hino has looked at what they have on offer in the 500 Series and made a number of changes to increase the breadth and depth of its offering to the market. This means new chassis, new engines and new combinations of existing components.
Read More

The Trucking Life

In Australia, each area has a different feel, the trucking life changes from region to region. Once you get away from the Eastern Seaboard, the nature of the trucking industry changes dramatically. Yes, there are still line-haul and supermarket delivery trucks out here, but the world is dominated by livestock and bulk tippers. This is the core of trucking away from the cities, carting whatever the farm produces to the point where it is to be sold, stored or processed.

Read More